Mahiru Shirota

Mahiru Shirota (城田真昼 Shirota Mahiru) is the protagonist of Servamp. He is the Eve of Sleepy Ash, the Servamp of Sloth. He is a first year high school student who greatly likes simple things and dislikes complicated things.

Appearance
Mahiru is an adolescent male with short, light brown hair that frames his face. He also has large brown eyes.

Typically, Mahiru can be seen wearing a brown shirt with a white collar. Over his shirt he wears an orange jacket, with his sleeves slightly rolled up. Around his neck, he wears a red tie. In this outfit, Mahiru also wears beige pants that end just below his knees. His sneakers are white and orange.

In illustrations, he’s often seen wearing orange, but apart from that he has a wide range of taste. He mostly opts for comfortable clothes, but he does have formal attire, such as a tie and a vest.

Occasionally, he wears the black and white striped wristband Sakuya gave him.

Personality
Mahiru is open-minded and independent. He’s not afraid to show what he’s truly feeling or thinking, so he can be critical of other people. Mahiru prefers simplicity over difficulty, therefore he behaves quite responsibly. He depends on himself instead of turning to someone else for help, most likely because he never felt the need to rely on others before.

He has a small amount of patience, typically raising his voice when he's irritated or annoyed. He often takes the role of the ‘mother hen’ because he tends to act more mature than his friends or those around him.

However, Mahiru knows how to use his words wisely for encouragement, almost always knowing exactly what to say and what not to say. As soon as he sets his eyes on a goal, he won’t change his mind, doing anything in his power to achieve that goal.

Past
Mahiru's mother died at a very young age. There was no mention of his father, and he didn't have any close family members to take care of him. His uncle, Toru Shirota, decided to take him in and raised Mahiru himself. However, his uncle was very busy and had to spend days away from home because of his work. Mahiru grew up alone and took care of himself. Because of this, he taught himself basic housework, such as cooking, cleaning, and sewing.

Meeting Kuro
On his way home from school, Mahiru finds a black cat laying exhausted on street and cannot move due to the heat so decides to take the cat home, giving him a bell and named him Kuro due to its black fur. However, the next day, Mahiru discovers there's a stranger eating and watching TV in his apartment, prompting him to attack the stranger, which the latter easily dodged. When Mahiru opens the curtain, exposing the young man to sunlight, the man changed into Kuro, which Mahiru confirms again when he closed the curtain, changing Kuro back into the stranger before, revealing the Kuro and the stranger are one and the same. Mahiru questions what he is, which Kuro answers that he is a vampire. Mahiru questions if Kuro is the street slasher who has attacked several people he had recently heard about and thought Kuro want to suck his blood and kill him, but Kuro denies, not wanting to drink blood of people like Mahiru. Kuro agrees to leave once it was dark and tells Mahiru he must not call him by his name while he is in his human form. However, mistaking what Kuro meant by name, Mahiru calls him with the name he gave to him, accidentally forming a temporary contract with the vampire and they cannot be separated until the contract is canceled within 24 hours as long as Kuro doesn't drink Mahiru's blood within the time limit. While shopping, Mahiru and his friends are attacked by another vampire, Belkia. Mahiru tries to convince Kuro to fight, but Kuro refuses, angering Mahiru who tells him to run alone while he tries to help his friends. Mahiru's action urges Kuro to protect him. Refusing to leave Kuro alone, Mahiru decides to finalize their contract by making Kuro drink his blood, making Mahiru Kuro's master or Eve and giving Kuro the necessary power to defeat Belkia. Before Kuro could kill Belkia by drinking his blood, Mahiru stops him, reminding Kuro of his own words that he as the Eve will take all responsibility so Kuro must listen to him, making Kuro spare Belkia. The vampire reveals that he attacked them under the order of another vampire named Tsubaki who hates Kuro. Shortly afterwards, Mahiru and Kuro lost consciousness, exhausted from the fight.

Encounter with Tsubaki
Awakened the next day in his room, Mahiru contemplates what happened was a dream, which was proven wrong when Kuro talks. Mahiru quickly goes to school and asks Sakuya what happened to Ryusei. When Sakuya made a dejected face, Mahiru thinks that Ryusei didn't make it until the said person arrives. This angered Mahiru who thinks the worst happened and punishes Sakuya as the result. However, Mahiru finds out that Ryusei didn't remember what truly happened yesterday and thinks that the wound he received was from an accident. On his way back home, Mahiru questions Belkia about Tsubaki, only for the vampire in question to appear himself, retrieving Belkia. Tsubaki introduces himself as the eighth Servamp and Kuro's youngest sibling, something that Kuro doubts since he never heard of any Servamp named Tsubaki. Mahiru then questions Tsubaki's intention and protests that he shouldn't be involving innocent people. This only annoys Tsubaki who thinks they are involved, especially Kuro, and proceeds to attack the Servamp. Mahiru tells Kuro to drink his blood, but Kuro refuses because he is still exhausted from the fight yesterday, spitting out Mahiru's blood when the Eve tries to force him to drink. As Tsubaki attacks them again, Mahiru feels a familiar feeling from Tsubaki that he experienced before and decides to make the vampire face him by giving him a name. However, before Mahiru can do so, Tsubaki attacks him, but he and Kuro are saved by another Servamp, All of Love, who moved them to the other side of station and left the two with his e-mail address.

Alliance with Misono and Snow Lily
At school, Mahiru receives e-mail from All of Love. Just as he received the e-mail, he and Kuro are abducted by All of Love's Eve, Misono Alicein who came with All of Love's twin subclasses. At Alicein mansion, Mahiru is introduced to All of Love who now goes by the name Snow Lily, and the Lust Pair demands Mahiru to give Kuro to them so they can defeat Tsubaki. Mahiru and Kuro escapes to a room filled with children, and Mahiru at first mistakes the children as Lily's children, but Lily explained all of them are his subclasses and two of his subclasses were killed by Tsubaki a few days before. Misono then explains his reason to fight to protect those he cares for, a reason that Mahiru able to relate. Mahiru offers Misono to form an alliance instead of fighting alone, an offer that Misono accepts.

Servamp Meeting
Mahiru and Kuro go to a meeting between the Servamps at a nearby family restaurant. There, he meets The Mother of Wrath, World End of Gluttony, and Doubt Doubt of Envy. The discussion goes nowhere as the vampires gets distracted by their own stories and problems, enraging Mahiru who tells them to focus on their current problem regarding Tsubaki and all of them must do something. Mahiru's disposition leads the vampires to point Mahiru as the leader and the one responsible for gathering all seven Servamps. To do this, Kuro must give him a weapon called Lead for Mahiru to fight. Under Kuro's instruction, Mahiru enters Kuro's mind where he is greeted by a Black Cat who tells him to choose his presents. Assuming the present means weapon, Mahiru chooses the simplest looking present and it changes into a broom. Kuro reminds Mahiru that when they first met, Mahiru attacked him with a mop, asking Mahiru does he thinks cleaning tool equals a weapon, which Mahiru denies. Due to their noisiness, they got kicked out from the restaurant.

Battle Against Sakuya, Belkia, and Otogiri
Mahiru hears that Sakuya hasn't come to school for the past few days. Worrying about his best friend, Mahiru decides to visit Sakuya and give him a snack and box lunch. On his way to Sakuya's house, Mahiru starts to have difficulty in remembering Sakuya to the point forgetting who Sakuya is for a second until Sakuya himself approaches him. He is then lured into an empty alley way where he and Kuro are tied by strings. To Mahiru's shock and disbelief, Sakuya reveals himself to be one of Tsubaki's subclass like Belkia. Sakuya accuses Mahiru of not believing in him as friends, so Mahiru tries to explain that he didn't tell anything because he doesn't want to get Sakuya involved, but Sakuya won't hear any of it and attacks him, which blocked by Kuro. Mahiru tells Kuro to drink his blood, but Kuro refuses because it was pointless since Mahiru is unsure whether he wants to protect or fighting Sakuya. Mahiru and Kuro are saved by Misono and Lily, the two able to defeat Belkia. However, Sakuya tricks Misono to let his guard down by using his friendship with Mahiru, which successfully made Misono hesitated and Sakuya uses the opportunity to attack Misono, injuring him. Enraged at Sakuya for injuring Misono through deception, Mahiru finally decides to fight. Kuro tries to convince Mahiru to escape since Mahiru is still unsure, but Mahiru refuses, feeling guilty for Misono who was protecting him yet he did nothing. Mahiru attacks Sakuya, but as he did so, he becomes afraid and feels that he is not the one who moves his Lead around. Mahiru's uncertainty overflows inside Kuro, causing the Servamp to lose control of his power which tries to engulf Mahiru. Mahiru becomes afraid and is almost engulfed by Kuro, when Sakuya extends his hand to try and help him, revealing that he previously attacked and taunted him because he wants to die by Mahiru's hands. Before Mahiru can take Sakuya's hand, Doubt Doubt and his Eve arrives, stopping Kuro's rampage and chased away the Subclasses. Mahiru questions Sakuya about his earlier statement, but Sakuya simply gives him back the wristband that he bought for him. Misono's servant, Dodo, arrives to take Misono to hospital and Lily also offers Mahiru to go as well, but Mahiru declines since his wound is not severe. Doubt Doubt's Eve, an antique dealer, then tells Mahiru that he should have killed Sakuya while he can since Sakuya himself wants it. He explains to Mahiru that if the Eve begins to fear the Servamp's power, then the Servamp will gobble him up whole, shocking Mahiru. He then offers Mahiru a chance to nullify the contract between him and Kuro if he is regretting ever picking up Kuro so that Mahiru could return to his normal life.

Sakuya's Past
The next day, Mahiru contemplates of what it means to wield a power. He doesn't regret picking up Kuro and became his Eve, but is confused because the power he received is different from what he had thought. His thoughts is interrupted when he heard his uncle came home and attacks Kuro whom he thought was a burglar until Mahiru calms him down and introduced Kuro, changing into his cat form, and asks for his permission to keep him. His uncle then takes him to a sushi shop for lunch, coincidently meeting Tsubaki who proceeds to reveal Sakuya's past and sneers Mahiru for not understanding Sakuya even though they are friends. When Tsubaki is leaving, Mahiru wanted to tell Tsubaki to free Sakuya, but couldn't bring himself to say so. Mahiru starts to scold himself for his inability to understand Sakuya and feels guilty for lying to him without considering his feeling. Mahiru's uncle comforts him, telling Mahiru that if he feels that way, he should set things right again with his friend. At the school festival, Mahiru directly confronts Sakuya and chases after him until they reach the rooftop. Sakuya refuses to apologize for what he did and insists that he is an enemy, but Mahiru insists they are friends and despite most of his memories being fake, the one whole year he spent with Sakuya was so much fun. Sakuya states he is not human and lets himself fall from the rooftop. Mahiru catches Sakuya as he tells him that it doesn't matter if he is a vampire because he has the power to take his hand. Mahiru summons his broom and uses it to fly to the nearby backyard where he finally reconciles with Sakuya and promises he will stop Tsubaki so Sakuya can be free, which Sakuya is grateful for. Mahiru then tells Kuro that he seriously wants to stop Tsubaki so he needs to become stronger.

Meeting Mikuni and Jeje
A month after Mahiru made contract with Kuro, Mahiru begins to train himself and demands Kuro to do the same instead of playing games, stating what's important to him are friendship, effort, and victory. Remembering what happened last time when Kuro lost control, Mahiru apologizes to Kuro and once again affirms his desire to become strong. Mahiru then notices that Kuro never drink his blood other than when they're fighting and instead eats normal foods. Mahiru tells Kuro that he can drink his blood if he wants to, but Kuro declines because he doesn't want to drink it, confusing Mahiru. Kuro and Mahiru then try to open the vampire SNS, only to find the website has been closed down. Mahiru asks Lily about this, but Lily himself doesn't know the cause.

On their way home, Mahiru and Kuro once again meet with Doubt Doubt and his Eve who are chasing a subclass who they kill. The sight horrified Mahiru, telling the antique dealer that he doesn't need to kill the vampire, but the antique dealer retorts that it's normal to kill their enemies. Seeing how knowledgeable the antique dealer is regarding vampires and know that he is actually a nice person since he saved them, Mahiru begs him to teach him how to properly use his Lead, shocking the antique dealer and Kuro. The antique dealer then introduces himself as Mikuni Alicein, Misono's older brother, shocking Mahiru and Kuro. They continue their talk at a nearby restaurant where Mikuni reveals his reason to help them: first is because Kuro is the strongest Servamp and to find out Tsubaki's goal. Mahiru reminds Mikuni that Tsubaki's goal is to start a war, but Mikuni points out that they don't know why he wants to start a war in the first place. This reminds Mahiru when Tsubaki mentions he is trying to lure something. Mikuni then explains that the vampire SNS was maintained by an institution. The mention of the institution surprised and made Kuro uneasy, something that Mahiru notices. Mikuni then asks does Mahiru won't annul the contract he made wit Kuro, something that Mahiru confirms because he is able to reach Sakuya's feeling thanks to what happened. Mahiru determines to become stronger so he and Kuro can become real partners. Together with Lily and Doubt Doubt whose current name is Jeje, Mikuni agrees to train Mahiru.

Meeting Tetsu and Hugh
While at school, Mahiru and Kuro overhear someone talking about Kuro and he tries to follow that person, who is revealed to be his senior, Shuhei Tsuyuki. Helping him after he fell down the stairs, Mahiru straightforwardly asks him if he is a vampire, angering Shuhei who then forces Mahiru to help in the summer festival. After helping in the festival, Mahiru tells Kuro about his mistake regarding Shuhei, and Kuro tells him that getting suspicious of someone isn't like him at all and he is fine the way he is now, though the vampire quickly takes back the last statement so Mahiru will stop doing reckless things. Mahiru is then approached by a man who claims to have found a case and asks Mahiru to take it to the lost and found stall. On his way to the stall, he meets a young man who is looking for something so Mahiru offers his help to look for it. When Mahiru asks what did he lost, the man answers that he is looking for a coffin with a vampire inside. This shocked Mahiru who doesn't know what to say considering his mistake earlier with Shuhei. They are interrupted by an explosion that comes from a similar silver case that Mahiru is carrying. Mahiru at first hesitated to call Kuro due to the man's presence but he then remembers Kuro's words so he decides to believe that the man is a good person and calls Kuro, who takes him to the sky so the bomb will explode without any casualty. However, Kuro threw the bomb ten seconds earlier and the bomb falls down again. The young man from before, however, placed the bomb inside his coffin where it explodes safely without destroying the coffin. The man introduces himself as Tetsu Sendagaya, the son of the owner of a hot springs inn and the Eve of Servamp of Pride, Old Child.

Training
Mahiru takes the Pride Pair back to his apartment where they continue their discussion. Old Child, reintroducing himself with his current name Hugh, states that he has been looking for Kuro to talk regarding Tsubaki and he and Tetsu agree to work together with them. Happy that they gained a new ally, Mahiru invites Tetsu and Hugh to his training with Mikuni, Jeje, and Lily. Meeting Mikuni at the park, Mikuni tasked them to remove all of Jeje's paper bags from his head as their first training stage. Hugh and Kuro are busy playing, leaving only Mahiru and Tetsu to train. Mahiru makes his first move, which Jeje easily dodges since Mahiru still can't properly control his Lead. Mahiru wonders why his Lead is a broom, and Mikuni explains that Lead takes the shape of an item that Eve can tie down their vampire the best with. Disagreement then occurs between Hugh and Mikuni regarding the position between vampires and humans, but Mahiru states that he doesn't really care about their opinion because they can think objectively and his partner is Kuro, so if it's about Servamp like him, he wants to hear it from Kuro himself and not someone else. Mahiru asks Kuro of his opinion, but Kuro feels it's too much to handle. Mahiru's answer impresses Hugh who takes a liking to him and willing to bet everything on him. Their training ends with Tetsu using his full power to attack Jeje, blowing the paper bags from his head and everyone around them, including Mahiru and Kuro. Mikuni quickly covers Jeje's face with his hat as he concludes their first training. Mahiru is amazed by Tetsu's strength and looking forward to fighting together with them all including Misono. The next night, Mahiru invited Misono to train as well, but the moment he mentions that Mikuni is the one who trains them and when the said person arrives, Misono quickly attacks his older brother, confusing Mahiru who then tries to stop Misono and questions his sudden hostility. Misono angrily scolds Mahiru for easily trusting people, but Mahiru defends himself by revealing that he thinks Mikuni is telling the truth because the older man has a collection of his photos, much to Misono's annoyance. Jeje knocks Misono unconscious and Mikuni decides to cancel their training plan. Mikuni gives Mahiru one last advice before leaving wit Jeje. Since the training is canceled, Mahiru and the others decided to continue their discussion at a nearby restaurant. Mahiru contemplates to ask the neutral organization, C3, for help, but Hugh objects the idea since C3 is not as neutral as it claims but a self-serving organization. Hugh warns Mahiru that getting involves with C3 will only bring trouble and reminds his siblings not to repeat their mistake. Mahiru inquires what this mistake they are talking about. Lily tries to explain that it happened when they received a certain order from C3 long ago, but Kuro interrupted them before it can continue further, surprising Mahiru. Hugh and Lily shift the subject to the bombings caused by Tsubaki three days ago, revealing that one of the places that got bombed was Mahiru's school. Mahiru was horrified when he saw his school destroyed, wondering what exactly is Tsubaki's goal. He asks Kuro about this but is then knocked unconscious by two girls working for C3.

Captured by C3
Mahiru awakes to find himself at the C3 base with Shuhei Tsuyuki, who is revealed to be one of their members as well and is actually 22 years old, infiltrating to Mahiru's school because they heard a high-school student made a contract with Sleepy Ash, which is a surprise to Mahiru. Shuhei asks for his cooperation to stop Tsubaki who used to be a Servamp in C3's custody. Mahiru can't answer because he needs to discuss it with Kuro first, but Shuhei denies his request to meet his Servamp. Mahiru then feels something wrong with his body and then remembers that Kuro once said something will happen if they got separated from the distance limit. Shuhei then reveals the C3's intention to kill the vampires from Tsubaki's side to reach their goal and still asks for Mahiru's cooperation even after knowing that Sakuya is his friend. Disgusted by C3's way of handling the vampires, Mahiru decides to find the way out by himself but is unable to find the right door. He then remembers Mikuni's words and realizes that he can make a way out himself. Using his broom, he creates a whirlwind and escapes by destroying the ceiling above him, meeting Kuro who also escaped. However, Mahiru decides not to leave because he is still curious about Tsubaki and drags the reluctant Kuro since they need to find the exit anyway. Unfortunately, when they found a map, there's no direction to the way out and there are only reference rooms written there. Mahiru then asks Kuro what happens when an eve and Servamp are separated for too long, remembering the abnormality he experienced a while ago. Kuro explains that he will die if they are separated for 24 hours, Mahiru angrily tells him to tell such an important thing sooner and asks is there anything else he hasn't told him. Kuro admits there are many things he hasn't told him and he probably will never will because Mahiru will surely involve himself in the vampire business and that will trouble him. Understanding the feeling of not wanting to involve someone, Mahiru honoured Kuro's wish by not asking him and tells the vampire that he is his partner so he also wants to help him as much as he can, shocking the vampire. Mahiru then split up with Kuro: while Kuro search for the exit, he will try to enter one of the reference rooms to find out more about Tsubaki. When entering one of the rooms, Mahiru finds a file containing the data of Tsubaki's subclasses and their capture preparation, leading him to the conclusion that C3 is capturing and judging non-humans. He is then confronted by Shuhei again and Mahiru asks if the places Tsubaki bombed were all connected to C3, something that Shuhei confirms. Kuro arrives after hearing the gunshot. With Kuro's arrival, Shuhei tells Mahiru that vampires are not his friends and they should just kill all of them. Mahiru begs to differ, telling Shuhei of the other side of vampires that he has seen and those vampires are all his comrades. He believes that vampires can change to protect humans if they want to as long as they reach understanding. Kuro tells Mahiru that he is more of bulldozing rather than being simple, but Mahiru thinks that Kuro seems more willing these days, which Kuro denies. Deciding to leave their conversation as it is, Shuhei then allows them to leave through a hidden elevator. Mahiru and Kuro arrive at the elevator in a nearby station without a button to the underground floor, which explains how C3 cannot be traced.

Jin Rampage
Mahiru readies himself to meet his classmate, Suzuhara, at the station since she found his cell phone. However, she came to his apartment and asks to be allowed to enter his room as an entity appears from her body. The entity then takes Suzuhara to Kuro, asking that it thought that Kuro eats. Kuro reveals that the entity is a Jin, a creature that glued themselves to human and leads them to any nearby vampires to eat. When the Jin is about to kill Suzuhara, Mahiru quickly exterminates it, only to find there are still many more outside and exterminates them as well, exhausting himself as he and Kuro go outside. To Mahiru's shock, the Jins are scattered around the town and cannot be seen by normal humans. They then meet Hugh and Tetsu who are looking for them to discuss the sudden appearance of a huge amount of Jins, also explaining that when vampires die, they will become Jins and they can only be killed by the Lead of Eves, leaving Mahiru and Tetsu the only ones capable to kill them. Before Mahiru can kill another Jin, Belkia interferes and is about to drink from a girl possessed by Jin, but is stopped by Kuro. Belkia reveals that Servamps unleash a huge amount of Jin, much more than subclasses, and Tsubaki's plan involves filling the world with Jins. Before Belkia can attack, he disappears, being picked by Sakuya. Realising how dire the situation is, Mahiru decides it's time to gather all of seven Servamps to fight against Tsubaki. They decide to stay at Tetsu's inn as Tetsu allows them to use one of their rooms as the gathering place for Servamps since there are many rooms available. While discussing their next move, Mahiru decides to go with Tetsu for a patrol n hope finding information about Tsubaki, dragging Kuro with them. While patrolling, he exterminates the Jins as well, meeting Lily's subclass, Yuri, who was surrounded by the Jins exterminated by Mahiru. Yuri asks Mahiru to help Misono who is confined to his house and is not allowed to go outside.

Ambush at Alicein Mansion
Arriving at Alicein mansion, Mahiru and the others are refused entry by Misono's servant, Dodo, until Tetsu tries to use force as directed by the instruction Dodo has written behind his cards, allowing them to enter. There, Misono's servants begin to talk about him and state how Misono is the first-born child, which confused Mahiru since the first is supposed to be Mikuni. When Mahiru inquires about Mikuni, everyone acts like he doesn't exist. Misono's father, Mikado Alicein, then greets him and Kuro. Mahiru and Kuro are then forced to listen to Mikado's story about Misono, showing the albums full of Misono's photos since he was a child, much to Mahiru and Kuro's boredom. Mikado then tells Mahiru and his friends to go home, but Mahiru refuses until he meets Misono. When the servants begin to use force to kick them out, Mahiru uses his Lead to escape while looking for Misono, finding him in the garden. Mahiru tells the shocked and confused Misono that they came to pick him up, but Misono declines their offer to leave the mansion because he doesn't want to worry his father. However, Misono promised that he will call them tomorrow once he has sorted out things with his father. Respecting Misono's decision, Mahiru and the others leave. Three days later, however, Misono has yet to call him, leading Mahiru to call Misono instead and notices that Misono doesn't remember what happened three days ago, prompting Mahiru and the others to once again return to Alicein Mansion. When they arrived, however, a huge amount of Jins comes out from the mansion. Fearing the worst, Tetsu throws Mahiru and Kuro into the mansion first. They bump into Otogiri who then turns the speaker on her phone on so Tsubaki can talk to them. Mahiru questions what Tsubaki was planning and the Melancholy vampire reveals that if the contract item given by Eve to Servamp is destroyed, the Servamp will break. Mahiru doesn't remember ever giving Kuro anything until Kuro shows him the cat bell he gave to him when he first picked him up, much to Mahiru's dismay. Tsubaki then ends the call, urging Otogiri to leave. Mahiru asks Otogiri why she did such underhanded means for Tsubaki's sake, to which Otogiri simply replies that Tsubaki is everything for her and the other subclasses. Mahiru focuses his attention on Misono and Lily at the garden, stopping the berserk Lily, but the Servamp of Lust manages to absorb Misono into himself, horrifying Mahiru and Kuro. Kuro reveals that Misono is still alive inside Lily, so Mahiru tells Kuro that they're going to free him themselves since Mikuni is not present like last time. Before Mahiru can make a move, Kuro stops him, reminding that he is the one who is supposed to attack since he is the vampire while Mahiru is the Eve. Lily's attack quickly scares Kuro before Lily directs his attack to Mahiru who is able to block the attack as he demands Lily to return to his senses and return Misono, which is successful. Afterward, Lily loses his powers, and as a result, his subclasses become sick and need to be tended to. Mahiru decides to stay over and help the servants tend to the subclasses along with Tetsu and Kuro. Mahiru and Kuro then ask for Lily's help when he regains consciousness, and both are surprised when Lily loses his tendency to strip, something that Mahiru points out to Kuro. After finished helping the subclasses, Mahiru thinks he should give Kuro stronger contract item since Lily's item, a pocket watch, was an easy thing to break. However, Hugh dismisses this thought as he demonstrates it by having Tetsu hit Kuro's bell with everything he has, only for it to remain intact as Hugh reveals that as long as the trust between Servamp and Eve is strong, the contract item won't be easily destroyed. This is why Tsubaki's knowledge of how to break the item alarmed them to be more careful. Mikado thanks them for saving Misono and explains Misono's background as his illegitimate son and how his wife killed Misono's real mother out of jealousy before trying to kill Misono seven years ago, leading Mikuni to kill his mother to protect Misono. Mikado expresses his fear that Misono will think himself responsible for the incident and he won't tell him until Misono is an adult. Mahiru questions Mikado when he will think of Misono as an adult, stating that it wasn't Misono who isn't ready, but Mikado. The servants then ask Mahiru how Mikuni is doing, explaining that they must feign ignorance about Mikuni's existence due to Mikado's order.

Meeting Licht and Lawless
Once Misono and Lily joins them by staying at Tetsu's inn, Mahiru and the others received information from Hugh's subclass, Sagami, of a suspicious person defeating a subclass and recently came to the KTV where he is working at, so Mahiru and the others visit the KTV to wait for that person to come. While waiting, Mahiru and Misono discuss that there are many things that they still don't know about Servamps, knowing that their Servamps are hiding something that they can't tell them. Mahiru suggests for Misono to talk with Mikuni, but the latter refuses because now they need to focus on the problem at the moment. When it's already late, Sagami tells them that the suspicious person has come, so Mahiru takes Kuro with him to follow that person who may have a clue about Tsubaki. While following the person, they notice a hedgehog trapped inside the cage the person is carrying and assumes that the hedgehog is a captured Servamp. Mahiru realizes how useful subclasses are, and asks Kuro if he has any. Kuro answers that he doesn't have one because subclass is created by feeding dying human his blood but he can't tell whether that human would still want to live longer or not. Mahiru notices for the first time that Kuro gave his own opinion and then quickly changes the subject, sensing that this is the first step for them to get closer as partners, Mahiru tells Kuro that he is not a bad vampire and he should put a lot more effort to be chummier with him. When the person walks into an alleyway and Mahiru follows him, the person is waiting for Mahiru, already noticing both him and Kuro and attacks the vampire. Mahiru defends Kuro before he gets hurt further, demanding their attacker to free the Servamp he captured, only to reveal the Servamp, Lawless of Greed, only pretending to be captured so he can see Kuro fight his Eve, Licht Jekylland Todoroki. Mahiru is left speechless at the antics between the Greed Pair, but nonetheless glad they gain more allies. Unfortunately, Lawless reveals he has no intention to work together with them due to his bad relationship with Kuro. Mahiru still tries for his cooperation, but both Lawless and Licht simply ignore him and leave. Back at the inn, Mahiru is surprised when Licht appears on TV as a famous pianist, telling Hugh that the pianist is Lawless' Eve. Hugh then reveals that Lawless has a habit to kill his Eves once he got grown bored of them, explaining why Lawless refused to tell his current name because his name will change in a snap. Feeling uneasy with Lawless, Mahiru decides to try to convince the Greed Pair again by going to their concert.

Ambush at Piano Concert
Since he doesn't have a ticket, Mahiru can't enter the concert. Fortunately, he is approached by Licht's manager, Rosen Kranz who mistakes Mahiru as a pianist who admires Licht and offers to secretly give him a spare ticket when the boy said he wants to meet Licht. Following Kranz, Mahiru notices Otogiri outside the window and concludes that the concert itself is actually a trap set by Tsubaki. Mahiru quickly goes to where the concert being held, only to find Lawless has already annihilated all of Tsubaki's subclasses sent to kill him and Licht. Mahiru tries to convince Lawless again, stating that he knows that Kuro is strong but this isn't something that he can handle alone. Annoyed, Lawless attacks Mahiru by flinging him into a wall but Mahiru is saved by Kuro before he hits it. Lawless then tells the story of the Servamps' past which involved getting an order from C3 to kill a certain person. Hearing this, Mahiru senses Kuro's murderous intent increase as Lawless continues his story. Before Lawless can reveal what Kuro's answer is, Kuro interrupts and the two siblings fight. Mahiru hesitantly attempts to stop the two but is startled when he saw Kuro's afraid face and unable to move. Licht stops the two and plays his piano, showing Mahiru the vision of the past when his mother was alive. He then notices that Lawless and Kuro also saw their own past due to Licht's piano playing. Lawless and Licht are about to clash again until it is stopped by Lawless' subclass, Guildenstern, and Kranz. While helping Kuro, Mahiru notices a lone survivor of Tsubaki's subclasses, Lilac, who was hiding behind the seats. Lawless attempts to kill Lilac, but Mahiru immediately stops him since he knows that Lilac won't attack them. Mahiru decides to take Lilac back with him for the time being, informing Misono. Recognising Licht's talent in using his Lead, Mahiru requests his help to teach him how to master his Lead, but Licht refuses because Mahiru is helpless either way.

Meeting Misono and the others at the park and explaining the situation to them, he earned a scold from Misono for being reckless, to which Mahiru apologizes. Mahiru thinks that Tsubaki will come to save Lilac if he knows they have him, remembering when they first met and what Sakuya and Otogiri said about Tsubaki, an information that he shared with his friends. Misono is skeptical that Tsubaki has such an honest side. When Mahiru wants to confirm by asking Kuro, the Servamp suddenly leaves, prompting Mahiru to follow him. Curious of what Lawless said about their past, Mahiru tries to ask about Kuro did in the past, but felt intimidated by Kuro's indirect threat, so Mahiru instead tells him they should return to the others as he has mixed feelings about his own words before to let Kuro himself share his past.

The Greed Pair's Capture
The next morning, Mahiru is phoned by Kranz who asks for Lawless' whereabouts since he hasn't returned since last night and Licht feels something weird with his body when Licht called the manager. Fearing that Tsubaki was taking revenge against Lawless, Mahiru and Kuro go out to look for Licht. While looking for him, they see a flame and assumes Licht is there. Kuro is against going without waiting for Tetsu, but Mahiru insists that they don't have time to wait. Arriving at the park, they find Licht beaten up by Tsubaki's subclass, Higan. Mahiru tells Kuro to fight, but when Kuro drinks his blood, Kuro is suddenly enveloped by black substances and becomes a small black ball while Mahiru's Lead disappears. Defenseless, Mahiru can only sit while Licht protects him. Mahiru can only watch as Licht is defeated by Higan's hand and taken away. Misono and the others arrived shortly and assure Mahiru they still have a chance, showing a cell phone with Belkia strap that Misono found. Receiving a call from Tsubaki, Misono demands a trade for the Greed Pair using Lilac. Agreeing to the trade, Mahiru and the others return to the inn to discuss their rescue plan, but Misono doesn't include Mahiru in the plan because he can't fight at the moment. While waiting in his room, Mahiru realizes that he has been depending too much on Kuro and apologizes to him for it. Kuro responds to his shout, revealing himself to be okay inside the ball, and Mahiru promises he will change him back to normal. Mahiru tells Tetsu and Misono about Kuro, but none of them can see nor hearing Kuro's voice. Mahiru and Tetsu try to free Kuro from the ball using saw and hammer to break it, but none of it works. Kranz and Guildenstern arrive after hearing about Licht and Lawless, Mahiru apologizes to them for unable to save Licht, instead being protected by the pianist. Kranz and Gil agree to help them save the Greed Pair, showing the holy water that he bought from Mikuni' store. Thinking Mikuni may know a way to return Kuro to normal, Mahiru goes to Mikuni's store with Kuro. At the train on their way to Mikuni's store, Tsubaki's illusion confronts him and about to explode, forcing Mahiru to get off from the train, but realizes that the explosion was just an illusion.

Kuro's Past
Arriving at Mikuni's antique store, instead of Mikuni, they are greeted by a researcher named Johannes Mimir Faustus, Mikuni's acquaintance who is overly enthusiastic to see and touch Kuro, but got disappointed when Mahiru shows Kuro who has become a black ball. The Sloth Pair are then taken to another room to be checked, but instead of Kuro, Johann does a health check on Mahiru, much to Mahiru's protests. Noticing there are many books there, Mahiru tries to pick up one of the books that he thinks may have a clue about Kuro, but distracted when Kuro falls off the table. Johann then gives Mahiru a drink that causes him to get sleepy and sends him to Kuro's consciousness. Inside Kuro's mind, Mahiru is welcomed by the Black Cat who tells him that Kuro doesn't want to see him, but Mahiru quickly retorts that it was a lie so he continues to look for Kuro. Hearing Kuro's cat bell from under the desert, Mahiru opens a door beneath the desert that leads him to a room that shows Kuro's past. Mahiru watches as the Servamps argues whether to kill their creator which results in Kuro making the final decision in a tiebreaker. Kuro decides that he will kill their creator himself, causing a friction between him and Lawless, explaining their bad relationship at present. The scene changes to Japan where the creator of Servamps lived at that time. Mahiru is tied by black thorns that prevent him from listening to Kuro and the creator's conversation as he watches Kuro tearfully killed his creator. Mahiru shouts at Kuro that he has decided that he will face all of the Servamp's regret and sin, trying to reach out to him. When Mahiru realizes it, he is holding the black cat who offers him weapons to break open Kuro's secret, but Mahiru declines because he just wanted to meet Kuro so he simply knocks where Kuro is hiding. When asked who he is, Mahiru didn't answer for a moment until he saw the writing of his name on his forehead on his reflection and tells Kuro who he is, giving him an entry where Mahiru finds Kuro lamenting his choice to kill his creator and begs for someone to tell him he is not wrong. Instead of saying what Kuro wants, Mahiru tells Kuro that he is wrong for asking him to decide whether he was right or wrong. He points out to Kuro that the vampire has been the one who thinks he might've been wrong. He explains that it takes courage to accept that he is wrong because it goes against the things he has built until now. However, he assures Kuro it will be okay because if he regrets it, both of them will face it together, which convinces Kuro to return.

Rescuing the Greed Pair
Mahiru and Kuro arrives in time to save Misono, Tetsu, and Lily who are cornered by Tsubaki's subclasses after Belkia made Hugh disappeared, Mahiru riding on Kuro's head who changes into a giant black lion. Mahiru's Lead changed from broom into a spear, and together with Kuro, their teamwork easily defeated the subclasses. They then go upstairs where Licht and Lawless are, finding them already defeated Higan. When asked by Licht does he came to listen to his piano, Mahiru confidently answered that he came to save him and this time for sure, earning him a praise from Licht, which Mahiru takes as Licht accepting him. While discussing their current situation, Mahiru reminds Kuro to talk with Lawless, smiling as he watches the vampire siblings finally reconcile. Mahiru then asks Lawless his current name, which Lawless embarrassedly revealed to be Hyde. Their happy moment didn't last long as Lilac, still bitter at Lawless for killing his friends, steals Lawless' contract item. Mahiru halts Licht and Lawless from making any move, trying to convince Lilac to return the contract item. Lilac, unfortunately, refuses because he thinks he now can face his friends who were killed by Lawless and despite being grateful to Mahiru, he tells Mahiru that he has the right to kill him for trying to hurt his friend now. The situation worsens when Tsubaki arrives and takes Lawless' contract item and reveals he has defeated Hugh. Mahiru questions what Tsubaki is planning to do, to which Tsubaki replies that he wants to fulfill "Sensei's" expectation. Mahiru can only watch as Tsubaki destroyed Lawless' contract item, causing a huge amount of Jin to come out from Lawless' body.

Mahiru prevents Licht from getting near Lawless to avoid possible danger while also looking for Kuro who was fighting against Tsubaki. They are saved by the arrival of C3 hounds, Tsurugi Kamiya, Jun'ichiro Kurumamori, and Yumikage Tsukimitsu. The three of them are able to corner Tsubaki, but the Servamp of Melancholy escapes with Higan's help and also Kuro's interference when Yumikage tried to shoot Tsubaki, something that Mahiru notices. Mahiru and the others are then taken into C3 protection, and are not allowed to leave their house until their safety is ensured. Licht and Lawless, who don't have anywhere to live since they're usually touring, stay at Mahiru's house for the time being.

C3 HQ Tokyo Branch
Days passed since the incident, it's suddenly snowing even though it's supposed to be summer, which surprises Mahiru. Together with Kuro, Licht, and Lawless, they discuss their current situation as well as their next plan to stop Tsubaki, Mahiru becomes happy upon hearing Kuro's willingness to gather all Servamps and stop Tsubaki. To their surprise, however, all seven Servamps are currently in Tokyo and conclude C3 must be behind this as well. They are interrupted by Tsurugi, Jun, and Yumikage who arrives to take them to C3 HQ for further protection. Before going to the HQ, Mahiru and Kuro are taken by the trio to eat at a restaurant. After lunch, on their way to HQ, the trio receive an order from a man named Touma to capture several subclasses nearby. Mahiru and Kuro are told to stay in the car and watch, Yumikage places a barrier to prevent them from escaping just in case. To Mahiru's horror, instead of capturing the subclasses, Tsurugi loses control and kills all of the subclasses.

Mahiru and the others made a stop at Jun's son's school to pick up his son, but forgetting that he won't fit in the car since Mahiru and Kuro are also with them, Jun takes Mahiru and Kuro ahead first. Jun asks Mahiru if Tsurugi scared him, but Mahiru admits that he is more confused than afraid and that he doesn't understand Tsurugi. At the HQ, Mahiru is told to fill out data and cannot move from his seat until Mikuni and Jeje appear. Hearing that Mikuni used to be partnered with Tsurugi, Mikuni tells Mahiru that they should just kill Tsurugi since the magician is already too broken to be saved. Mahiru asks if this involves a man named Touma. Mikuni warns Mahiru to be careful around Touma and Tsurugi because they're not on their side. They are then escorted by Shuhei as the researcher explains about Servamps and the facility.

Weapons and Abilities
Weapon/Lead: Abilities:
 * Broom - Mahiru's Lead first form is a broom that he can summon at any time and use it in various situations, such as flying. He is also able to create a whirlwind that easily breaks through a concrete ceiling by spinning himself and his broom together in a "breakdancing" style, though he sometimes has difficulty in using it.
 * Spear - After entering Kuro's mind, Mahiru's lead changed into a spear. Unlike the first form, this form gives Mahiru more offensive power, the spear is able to be used to slice and strike his enemies. Furthermore, Mahiru is fully accustomed using this spear and has total control of it.
 * Elpis - This form appears in the anime and later in the manga. This form allows Mahiru to open and see the memories and feeling of his opponent. It takes the shape of different keys depending on the opponent.
 * Servamp Bond: When Kuro drinks his blood, he and his Servamp appear to become more powerful.


 * Parameters
 * Strength: 7/10
 * Tactics: 2/10
 * Cooperativeness: 8/10
 * Mental: 7/10
 * Appearance: 5/10
 * Caring: 9/10

Mother
Mahiru had a close loving relationship with his mother before she passed away. Mahiru was deeply saddened by his mother's death that he almost completely withdrew himself from his friends. When Licht showed Mahiru his past, his happy memories with his mother was the memory that appeared and Mahiru cried at the memory, showing how much Mahiru loves and misses his mother. From this memory, it's also shown that Mahiru's mother is a kind and loving mother towards her son.

Sleepy Ash
At first, he found Kuro to be an annoying neet vampire, always yelling at him whenever he left crumbs on the floor or Kuro hesitant to face the problem in front of them. But later on in the series, they seem to get closer. After every fight they encounter, the first thing he does is ask Kuro if he is okay. Also, when Kuro mentioned he liked ramen, Mahiru took note of this and bought him packets of ramen and other similar types of food. Despite the dangerous situation he got into, Mahiru never regretted picking up Kuro and immediately rejected the idea of breaking his contract with Kuro, stating that he wants to be Kuro's equal partner. He does not want to decide his and Kuro's fates and choices alone, wanting only himself and Kuro to decide because they are partners. He trusts Kuro with his life, rejecting any offer of help from C3 whom he knows having a history of operating without Kuro's consent. His decision to trust Kuro also led him to respect Kuro's wish not to ask about his past, wanting the vampire to trust him as well. While he rarely shows it clearly, Mahiru's kindness and trust in him actually makes Kuro happy that he always hides by feigning disinterest. Despite continuously saying it's troublesome and such, Kuro always protects Mahiru whenever he is in danger. It wasn't until Mahiru helps Kuro realize his mistake that he finally directly tells Mahiru of his acceptance of their partnership.

Sakuya
Sakuya is Mahiru's best friend, both always hung out together after school with their other two friends. Even after Sakuya is revealed to be Tsubaki's subclass and has been manipulating his memories about being childhood friends while in fact they only knew each other for a year, Mahiru still considers Sakuya as a friend. This feeling grew stronger once Mahiru knows Sakuya's past and his true feelings, making him determined to stop Tsubaki so Sakuya can be freed. Sakura initially only befriends Mahiru out of boredom but grew to cherish their friendship more than his loyalty to Tsubaki. Their friendship becomes stronger after Mahiru reaches out to Sakuya and vows to free him, making Sakuya glad and grateful for Mahiru for finding him.

Misono Alicein
When they first met, Misono wanted to take Kuro away from him, giving a bad impression to Mahiru. After knowing Misono's reason to fight, Mahiru decides to help him since is able to relate to his feeling of wanting to protect those who are important to them. Misono was very happy when Mahiru offers to become his friend since it was the first time someone was willing to become his friend, which he usually hides out of embarrassment. It doesn't take long for Misono to become protective of his first friend, saving Mahiru when he was attacked by Tsubaki's subclasses, risking his life to do so. Mahiru's friendliness and open-minded personality quickly made him understood how nice Misono actually is despite his outward traits and he regards Misono as one of his close friends, worrying about his weak body and helping him if he is in trouble. Even though Misono doesn't interact well with others and has a grumpy personality, Mahiru and Misono overall are good friends.

Tetsu Sendagaya
Mahiru and Tetsu have a friendly relationship, both quickly get along due to their open-minded and simple personality, with Kuro commenting that both of them are plain. While Mahiru sometimes gets bewildered by Tetsu's unordinary approach in advertising his inn and easily accepting the situation, Mahiru also admires his strength and thinks of him as a friend that he can always rely on. Tetsu also respects Mahiru as his senior, referring him as "Big Brother Mahiru". He always listens to what Mahiru says because he fully trusts him and will offer the older boy his help whenever he can.

Mikuni Alicein
Mahiru's first impression on Mikuni is that the older man is a weird person due to his fondness for his doll and gets annoyed whenever the man accuses him of staring at his doll or Misono with lewd eyes. They also have a contradicting view regarding how they deal with their enemies; while Mahiru objects to killing his enemies, Mikuni thinks it's necessary to kill them. Despite their difference, Mahiru doesn't think badly of Mikuni since he saved him and Mikuni quickly became a mentor to Mahiru, helping him train his powers and work well with Kuro. Even after being told by Misono not to trust him, Mahiru still respects Mikuni and trusts him to a certain degree. Mikuni views Mahiru as a naive boy but doesn't hate him for it since the boy doesn't mean anything bad and befriends his younger brother.

Quotes

 * "I'm Mahiru Shirota, 15 years old. I like to keep things simple. Try to keep life uncomplicated. That's why I picked up a cat. Well, I thought he was a cat, but looks can be deceiving."
 * "For vampires like you guys, right now might seem like just a moment, but… no, it’s the same for humans. A lot of things will change - nothing can stay the same forever. But those moments individually are what I love." (to Kuro, Hyde and Snow Lily)
 * "Right. I... wanted to become an adult who could face anyone… Yet I've never faced you. I acted like I didn’t know how to... and played the nice guy, but I just ran away from you. Kuro... thanks to you I was able to do so many things I couldn't have done on my own. This time it would have been my turn to help you out with something you couldn't do alone... I’m sorry, Kuro...!”
 * "I'll name you...Kuro!"
 * "I like simple!" (to Kuro)
 * "Nothing's interesting to you because you don't face your feelings honestly. It's no wonder you're so bored! You feel like no one understands you, but you don't even understand yourself! So how is anyone else supposed to care about what you want?!" (to Tsubaki)
 * "If you start this war...I'll stop you! Guaranteed!" (to Tsubaki)
 * "Are you hurt, Kuro?! Damn that Tsubaki!"
 * "Your baby brother is evil!" (to Kuro)
 * "I...need to do this. All my life, I've been protected. Now it's time to protect others." (to Kuro)
 * "I'll never, ever regret...picking up Kuro. No way." (thinking about what Kuro said)
 * "Meet my stray cat...He's called Kuro. Can I keep him? Please?" (to Uncle Tooru)
 * "Sorry about earlier...I never said thanks...For all your help." (to Kuro)
 * "Never!! His power helped me with Sakuya! I wanna get tough...and be a real partner to him!" (to Mikuni when he suggested to break the bond between him and Kuro)
 * "Of course, you idiot! Why else would I risk my life?!" (to Kuro after he asked him if he trusts him)
 * "Kuro! Do you...laze around at school...to help me relax?" (to Kuro)
 * "Kuro!! Cut the cute kitty act!" (to Kuro)
 * "Oh...Whatever. I...don't really care. Some people see a full moon...Others see only a sliver. Kuro is my partner. I'll ask him about humans and vampires. He knows which weapon is right for me." (to the arguing Mikuni and Hugh)
 * "Huh? Kuro? You never yell like that..." (to Kuro after he suggested the help of C3)
 * "These so-called 'adults'  may have prepared a correct answer, but I've got a better idea! Kuro and I will decide what to do! On our own!"
 * "I'll kill that lazy cat myself! How could he forget to tell me something so important?!" (after Tsuyuki tells him that if Mahiru and Kuro are separated for too long, they'll eventually die)
 * "I found you!! Are you okay?! Hey! That's my jacket!" (to Kuro after reuniting with him)
 * "So you just wanna...keep me safe?" (to Kuro)
 * "No problem. You don't hafta tell me. I trust you. And I've been there. Kuro...I'm your partner. And I'm always here to help you out. Don't forget that!" (to Kuro after he told Mahiru he can't tell him his secrets)
 * "What makes you think you know what's best? Sitting there drinking black coffee and calling me a child doesn't make you mature! And if adults murder... then I'll stay a kid who likes chugging orange soda!" (to Tsuyuki)
 * "You want them broken? Why do you keep using that word? Why do you wanna break them? Maybe you've never seen a vampire rolling on the floor, while videogames and eating potato chips. Or a vampire who apologizes for lying while crying tears of regret. Or a vampire who just wants to be left alone, but he will still save the life of a human he just met. I've been around many vampires lately, and believe me, not all of them are bad. In fact, some of them are new friends. I don't really know what kind of history C3 has with vampires, or what you're trying to do, but thinking simply, I wanna keep anyone from gettting hurt, human or vampire." (to Tsuyuki)

Trivia

 * Mahiru's name contains the Kanji for "true" (真), "noon" (昼), "castle"(城) and "rice field" (田). "城," can also be read the same as the Japanese word for "white," which is meant to contrast Kuro's name, meaning "black" (クロ).
 * ​His favorite food is Japanese hamburger with grated radish.
 * His favorite color is orange.
 * He was nicknamed Mahi Mahi by Kuro in the Drama CDs.
 * His seiyū (Japanese Voice Actor), Takuma Terashima, sings the the ending theme of the anime, Sunlight Avenue.
 * In the first popularity poll he came second with 3145 votes.
 * He has mentioned in the 'Servamp Drama CD "The Vampire-only Summer Vacation" - Episode 3 that he was the school representative for freestyle swimming, having to swim 100 meters, when he was elementary school.
 * His star-sign is Cancer.
 * His favorite drinks are barley tea & orange juice.
 * He dislikes the rainy season (because it gets the laundry wet).
 * His hobby is housework.
 * His favorite subjects are physical education, home economics, and Japanese, while his weak subject is English.
 * In Junior High he was part of the track team.
 * In summer, he usually wears T-shirt and jersey because they're quite loose and comfortable for when he sleeps and are also quite easy to wash.
 * He likes eating watermelon during summer, especially if he's eating with his friends.
 * Kuro thinks that Mahiru's strong point is his good cooking, while his weak point is he keeps telling the vampire to do this and that and never take a break from cleaning even during the weekend.
 * During Mahiru's first fight against Sakuya, Tsubaki wondered if Mahiru would become the key, however the series does not yet reveal what the key is supposed to be.